When golf clubs were first available, they were made in only one size dimension. The manufacturers of that time believed that the “one size fits all” philosophy was valid. Unfortunately, these golf clubs only addressed a very small portion of the population properly. Individuals that were about 5′7″-5′9″ were considered the target height. Some years later, manufacturers added an inch long or short to their offerings to accommodate more people. Ladies lengths were typically an inch shorter than the men's lengths. The way a golf club fit was solely based on a person's height.
Then in the early 80's, it became apparent that height shouldn't be the only factor used to determine the specifications of a golf club for a particular individual. Karsten Manuf. Corp. (PING) introduced a chart or measuring ruler that was based on how far one's fingertips were from the floor. They also factored height into the equation to determine what dimensions (i.e. lie and length) a club should have to fit a person properly. Many companies copied or modified this idea and offshoots were developed such as measuring wrist or fist to floor.
The fitting systems above had major shortcomings in that they didn't take into account the major angles created by person in an address position nor did they take into account the individual physical properties of a person such as their leg length, torso length, arm length, shoulder width, etc.
The next major fitting method introduced in the late eighties was the dynamic method. This method involved applying tape to the bottom of the golf club. The golfer then made swings with various clubs with different lies and lengths until they found one that made a mark on the tape in the center of the sole. The inherent problems with this method are twofold. First, flaws present in a player's golf swing directly influenced the fit of the club. In order for clubs fitted in this manner to function properly, the swing flaws present during the fitting process need to be present to the same degree. Unless a golfer's swing is perfect and he doesn't need to correct anything, which is highly unlikely, the club will not promote a proper motion, but will promote the problems. The second problem is that most golfers do not swing the club the same way from one day to the next, let alone one swing to the next. This brings inconsistency as a factor into the fitting process. Currently, many manufacturers that claim to offer custom fitting, are applying the dynamic method or a variation of this method.
Currently, the way a golfer is fit for golf clubs is through observation of overall height and the measurement of fingertips, fists or wrists to floor. This determines the length of the club. Then the golfer proceeds to what is called the dynamic fitting part. This involves the golfer through trial and error, swinging various clubs of different lies and length that have a piece of tape on the bottom of the sole of the club, until he hits one where the tape is marked in the center of the sole. This method introduces inconsistency because amateur golfers tend to swing the club a little differently every time. Therefore, the fitting results are biased by this flawed golf club swing motion.
There is a need for a better way of properly fitting golf clubs to a golfer.